When did Danica Patrick date Aaron Rodgers? Retired NASCAR driver details “emotionally abusive” relationship with NFL star

Danica Patrick, 43, and Aaron Rodgers, 41, were in a relationship for over two years. In 2012, they first met at the ESPY Awards and remained friends for the next few years. The couple began dating in early 2018 and were often seen attending events, purchasing their first Malibu home together, and more. However, they called it quits in July 2020.

On the May 21 episode of The Sage Steele Show, the former NASCAR driver reflected on her relationship with the NFL player, claiming:

"the nature of the relationship was emotionally abusive."

When host Sage asked her to share "the most amount of pain" she has ever faced, Danica referred to "the breakup with Aaron in 2020" and opened up about the emotional turmoil she endured in those two years, People reported.

She said:

"It was sudden, it felt like. It was my life. So like when you live with somebody, it’s your whole life. And because the nature of the relationship was emotionally abusive, so that wore me down to nothing."

Danica Patrick spoke about her relationship with Aaron Rodgers

Patrick explained how the association left her emotionally depleted, affecting her confidence. She further added:

"People could never imagine that I would lack … any confidence or belief in the simple things about who I am. Everything was torn to bits. Yeah, he leaves a trail of blood. I don’t think I’m saying too much earth-shattering stuff after we — there’s been enough out there."

Continuing the heartfelt chat, she also answered whether she realized that her romance with Aaron was emotionally overwhelming during that time or understood it later "in hindsight."

Danica Patrick confessed to ignoring the signs, explaining:

"Hindsight, I ignored it, but in real life, it was just like I just feel like — I would say all the time, 'I'm built for hard things. I can handle hard things.' And so I just saw it as a hard thing."

The retired racer talked through, sharing:

"And my nature is to try harder and do more. And I was like, ‘What if I don’t do it for the right person?’ Like what if I just get a stick up my a** about this and get too proud and go like, 'You know what, I’m just done.' Instead of going, 'Man just try a little harder because what if you look back and wish you would have tried?' Like I would never want that in my life."

She confessed to not feeling ashamed or regretful because she had come to terms with the fact that "everything leads to the next thing."

She chimed in:

"It’s all part of the path of learning the lessons and becoming who you are again. It’s not that you’re not going to go through hard times again, but learn how to get through them quicker [and] learn how to get through them more peacefully," Us Weekly reported.

While the journey has not been the smoothest, Patrick found herself leading to profound personal growth amid the chaos and healing. She revealed happily:

"But it gave me the greatest gift, the greatest gift, which is myself. It gave me the greatest gift of how much I needed to show up for myself and take care of myself."

Danica Patrick & Aaron Rodgers looked back on their relationship after the breakup

The breakup impacted Danica Patrick and Aaron Rodgers in different ways. For the football quarterback, the experience was "great".

Reflecting on his past relationship on the August 2022 episode of the Aubrey Marcus Podcast, he recounted the fond memories, describing:

"I was dating Danica and that relationship was great for me because she is on her own journey and spirituality is important to her. We both were finding our way, learning about different things [and] practicing meditation techniques."

In the third episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls Season 3, Danica Patrick joined Bear Grylls, which was filmed at the Moab desert in Utah. The episode, which aired on April 12, 2021, delved into how her breakup changed her life and how she grasped a deeper understanding of herself.

She elaborated:

"I think we learn the most about ourselves through relationships, but there's nothing like heartbreak to really throw you in the deep end of that."

Without naming her ex-boyfriend, the former driver shared things she learnt in this journey. She opened up:

"But I've learned a lot and as broken open as I was on the sad end, I have felt so much joy in so many more instances and so many more unlikely places than I ever have, so it's like my heart got broken open to both ends of the spectrum."

During her conversation with Grylls, she also expressed her gratitude for her parents and family, People reported. She cherished their unconditional support in every step of her life, recounting:

"[My dad is] always super proud of me. My mom too. My sister. I'm really fortunate that I have a family that's super supportive. You gotta have someone you can fall apart with, you know?"

Now, Danica Patrick appears to be in a new relationship. In September 2024, TMZ reported that she shared pictures from the Burning Man festival with an unidentified person on her Instagram.

On the other hand, Aaron Rodgers is in a relationship with a woman named Brittani. In December 2024, he confirmed the news during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.